music reviews by winch

Badfinger

1971
Produced by Todd Rundgren
(two cuts produced by George Harrison)
Released December 1971 (US & UK) reached #31 in US.

Noteworthy ***Badfinger’s third album, containing two more top 10 hits, “Day After Day” and “Baby Blue,” both melancholy pop gems that suggested this band was perhaps a bit more than just a Beatles copycat. The hits helped the band get plenty of airplay and leave behind a legacy that lasted long after they were gone.

While the rest of the album resonates with the mood of the hits, it also strives to lift out of the gloom without ever really shaking that melancholy that permeates the sound. The setis fairly consistent, but many cuts sound a bit lacking alongside the stronger ones. With some clearly coming out of the fab four, this should interest fans of the Beatles. For fans of this group, this is essential listening.

This was the last outing that sold well in the States. (For some reason, they never caught on at home.) All of the songs are written by band members, both of the hits penned by Pete Ham. While they’d continue releasing albums, few took interest. Ham would hang himself in 1975.